A senior anti-corruption official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called for serious investigations and harsh penalties to root out corruption in government-contracted construction projects.

Preventive efforts and improved laws and regulations were needed to avoid corruption in the construction sector, said He Yong, deputy secretary of the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

He made the remarks Friday at a working conference of the leading group dealing with problems of rule violations in government-invested construction projects.

The power-for-money deals behind the violations should be carefully and thoroughly dealt with, He said.

He also called for better transparency and a more market-oriented approach in such projects.